Method of stretching fabric for detachable covers of pneumatic tires.



No. 669,836. Patented M'ar. I2, I901.

L. JOHNSTONE.

METHOD OF STRETCHING FABRICFOB DETACHABLE COVERS 0F PNEUMATIC TIRES.

(Application filed May 22. 1899.]

(No Model.) 7' smn-smn 1.

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Patented mm l2, I90I.

L. JOHNSTONE. METHOD OF STRETCHING FABRIC FOB DETACHABLE COVERS 0F PNEUMATIC TIRES.

(Application' filed May 22. 1899.)

7 Sheets8heet 2.

(No Model.)

m: mums "1m $0.. "W -(mm. WAsHmom m: 1

-No. 669,836. Patented Mar; l2, mm.

, I L. JOHNSTONE. METHOD QFSTRETCHING FABRIC FOR DETACHABLE COVERS 0F PNEUMATIC TIRES.

(Application filed Mky 2. 1899.)

(No Model.) 7 ,7 Sheets-Sheet 3.

m: arm: ms no Pnaiou'ma. wunmmou. I}. c.

No. 669,836. Patented Mar. l2, 190i,

L. JOHNSTONE.

METHOD DF STRETCHING FABRIC FOR DETACHAB LE COVERS 0F PNEUMATIC TIRES. (Application med. May 22. 1899.-

(no Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 4.

W 666 96': L'vven/tor v v dilazznqy- THE sums vnnns co. wamunio. mamas-ran bJxx No. 669,836 Patented mar. I2, I90l.

L. JUHNSTUNE. METHOD OF STBETCHING FABRIC FOR DETACHABLE COVERS 0F PNEUMATIC TIRES.

' V on filed May 22. 1899.)

(Applicati (No-Model.) 7 Sheets-Shee! 5.

Fly. .9. 6 Fig.1.

No. 669,836. Patented Mar. [2, I90l.

. L. JOHNSTONE.

METHOD OF STRETGHING FABRIC FOR DETACHABLE COVERS 0F PNEUMATIC TIRES.

(Application filed May 22. 1899.)

(No Model.)

7 Sheets-Sheet 6.

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m Modem No. 669,636; l Patented Mar. I2, 190:.

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METHOD OF "S'I'BETCHIVNG'FABRIG FOR DETACHABLE COVERS 0F PNEUMATIC TIRES;

(Application filed May 22. ,1699..

7 Sheets-Sheet 7.

Nrrnn STATES PATENT OFFicE.

LEWIS JOHNSTONE, OF BURY, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE RADAX PNEU- MATIO TYRE COMPANY, LIMITED, OF WARRINGTON, ENGLAND.

METHOD OF STRETCHING FABRIC FOR DETACHABLE COVERS OF PNEUMATIC TIRES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,836, dated March 12, 1901.

Application filed May 22, 1899- Serial No. 717,787. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern: length of fabric is wound thereon. The other Be it known that I, LEWIS JOHNSTONE,enend of the length of fabric is led from the 55 gineer, a subject of the Queen of Great Britbrake-ring over the roller and thence to the ain, residing at Deeply Vale, Bury, in the second ring, (which I will hereinafter term county of Lancaster, England, have invented the winding-ring) to which latter it is a certain new and useful Method of Stretchfirmly secured. A suitable brake or drag or ing Fabric for the Manufacture of Detachretarding action is put upon the brake-ring, 6o able Covers for Pneumatic Tires, of which the while the winding ring is revolved by any following is a specification. suitable means by preference very slowly.

to This invention relates to the method of The roller, which is preferably of convex manufacturing detachable covers for pneuform, is so adjusted with respect to the two matic tires from a self-shaped fabricthat is, rings (or one or other of the rings is so ad- 65 a fabric which is curved or specially shaped justed with respect to the roller) that as the in the weaviug-viz., curved to the radius (or fabric is dragged off the brake-ring it will be :5 thereabout) of the tire, when inflated, in reinverted or turned inside out as it passes spect of which such detachable covers are to over the roller and turned back again or rebe used. inverted between the roller and the winding- 70 Heretofore it has been proposed in patents ring, while at the same time the fabric is in of earlier date to employ a textile fabric (advery great tension and is strongly stretched 2o vantageously a woven cotton cloth or canvas during such circuitous passage from the of suflicient strength and resilience) formed brake-ring to the winding-ring, on which latsomewhat V-shaped or U-shaped in cross-secter the stretched fabric is wound and there- 75 tion and also curved in the direction of its after employed for the purpose of manufaclength to or about the radius of the tire to be turing the detachable covers for pneumatic made, such shaped fabric being woven or protires in any suitable or desired manner. Be-

duced in any suitable manner. fore removing the stretched fabric from the According to the present invention such winding-ring and before the tension is re- 80 specially-shaped fabric is treated in the manleased the fabric is clamped or secured in any nor as follows: Two drums, reels, or rings suitable manner on the winding-ring and re- 0 (which for the sake of brevity will hereinmoved from the machine, and the fabric still after he referred to as rings) are employed, on the ring is subjected to the action of wet advantageously of the diameterofthe finished steam and dried or treated in any other de- 85 tire, but narrowerin cross-section and mountsired manner. It can, for instance, be imed in the same plane, Two or more pairs of mersed in a bath and dried or mercerized and such rings may be similarly mounted in one washed and dried. India-rubber can also be machine, the rings in each pair being arapplied to the fabric prior to the stretching ranged in the same plane. Between each and winding process, if so desired. 0 pair of rings and in the same plane therewith By this invention fabric of the kind deis arranged a small drum, reel, roller, or scribed can be readily stretched in one operridge, (which may either be formed in one ation-that is, a sufficient amount of the piece or of a number of parts,) hereinafter restretch can be taken out of the same to renferred to as the roller. This roller is adder sameinextensible orsufficiently so to pre- 5 vantageously an idle roller and is adapted to vent the detachable outer cover made therebe adjusted in any desired direction in relafrom from coming off the rim when inflated tion to its pair of rings. The said rings (or under ordinary riding pressures.

one of them) maybe adapted to beindepend- In order that this invention may be the ently adjusted toward and away from one anmore easily understood and readily carried [00. other or from the roller or in any other deinto practice, I will proceed to further desired direction, the object of which adj ustscribe the same with reference to the drawment will be hereinafter explained. One end ings hereunto annexed, which illustrate of a length of the specially-shaped fabric is means for carrying out the method which secured to one of the rings, (which I will forms the subject-matter of the present applir05- hereinafter term the brake-ring,) and such cation.

- cal vertical sectional view on line 4 4, Fig. 1,

fabric is then wound upon said ring 1.

showing the mechanism for holding and adjusting the intermediate roller 2. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the fabric in-' verted on the roller 2 as it is drawn off the ring 1 and again inverted as it is wound on the ring 19. Fig. 6 is a separate view of the said ring 19, showing means by which same is rendered collapsible, though, as hereinafter described, the winding-ring may in part of the operations be a solid and not a collapsible ring. Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional View thereof on line 7 7, Fig. 6. Figs. 8 to 11 illusstrate a modified arrangement, and Figs. 12 to 15 another modification, and Fig. 16 still another modification, as hereinafter de scribed.

The machine illustrated in Figs. 1 to '7 is double-sided-that is, is a double machine the operation on either side being the same. In the arrangement illustratedin said Figs. 1 to 7 the end of a length of the special fabric is firmly fixed to the brake-ring 1, and said The ring 1 is fixed on the axle A, 011 which latter is also fixed the band-brake wheel 2. The axle A is journaled in the adjustable hearing or carriage a, which is adapted to slide upon the supporting bars or rods 1), carried on the main frame or basec of the machine, the said hearings or carriage a being adjusted by means of the adjusting-screw 3. (See Fig. 3.)

5 indicates band-brakes which act on brakewheels 2.v

6 is an adjustable mount or carriage, on which are carried or mounted the small rollers 7, one such roller only being shown in Fig. 4. The'said mount is adapted to slide upon the fixed rods 19 and can be adjusted thereon by means of the adjusting-screw 8. (See Figs. 3 and 4.) The roller 7 is an idle roller on the shaft 9, journaled in the forked arms 10 of the support 11. The shaft 9 is adjustable in the direction of its length by means of the screw-nut l2 thereon. The mount 11 is carried in the arms 13 and 14 of the mount 6 and can be adjusted vertically and turned upon its vertical axis. The Vertical adjustment is obtained by means of the screw-sleeve 15, which screws through the internally-screw-threaded lower socket 14. The upper part of the spindle 11 has fixed thereon a worm-wheel 16,'with which gears a worm 17, which can be rotated by the square end 18 on its shaft.

on the worm-shaft 22, which carries the driving-pulleys 23, driven in any suitable manner. The worm-wheel 20 carries rigidly fixed thereto the crank pinion or spindle 24, on which rotate the pinions 25 and 26, these two latter beiu g cast or otherwise formed together.

27 is a stationary toothed wheel keyed or otherwise fixed to the boss 01 of the carriage d.

28 is a toothed wheel keyed or otherwise rigidly fixed to the shaft B aforesaid. Thus it will be seen that as the worm-wheel 20 re volves it carries around the double pinion 25 26, the pinion 25 gearing with the stationary toothed wheel 27, and consequently the pinion 26 is thereby revolved, and this latter in turn revolves the toothed wheel 28, which being fixed to the axle B consequently will very slowly revolve the latter, and thus the speedis geared down and a very slow and steady rotation of the rings 19 is obtained. These rings 19 (when same are to be used as the mandrel on which the tire is to be built up and finished) are formed of segments hinged together, as at 29 and 29 and one of such segments is cut through diagonally, as at 29, and provided with a clamping device 29, the mandrel being thus made collapsible,as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, with a central frame 29, having three or other suitable number of arms, one arm of which is extensible by means of the internally-screwednut or adjusting device 30, through which screws the screwed part 31 of the rod 32, by means of which latter the frame 29 may be given an expansible effect for the purpose of expanding the ring 19, and it can be tightly pressed and locked against the inner circumference of the collapsible ring 19, and thereby hold the same rigid, while when it is desired to collapse the ring this can be easily effected, as will be readily understood from the drawings. For instance, when the stretched fabric is wound upon the ring 19 and there finished to form the finished cover such ring 19 must be collapsed to enable such finished cover to be removed therefrom.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the handbrake 5 (the ends of which are provided with a screw-bolt 33 and nut thereon by which to vary the tightness of said band-brake 5 upon the brake-wheel 2) has an extension 34, to the upper end of which latter is pivoted a rod 35, which isconnected to a dynamometer 36 or other suitable indicator or spring-balance. The latter is mounted on the framing or support 37, mounted on the fixed carriage d, so that any desired amount of brake or retardation can be put upon the brake-wheels 2, and consequently upon the rings 1, fixed on the shaft A, and at the same time the strain put upon the fabric is registered or indicated and can be readily seen upon the dynamometer. a; is the fabric to be stretched. Means are provided for readily mounting the rings 1 upon the shaft Aor removing the same therefrom, and similar means are used for mounting the rings 19 upon the shaft B. Therings land 19 are narrow in cross-section, with a suitable circumferential edge, the rings being preferably made with parallel sides and rounded edges. By altering the cont-our of the roller 7 and altering its position relatively to the rings 1 and 19, either or both, the stretch on different parts of the width of the fabric can be varied. In place of this roller 7 a fixed convex surface or ridge of any suitable shape may be employed.

The operation is as follows: The fabric m is secured to and wound upon ring 1 and is led around the roller 7 and the end secured to and wound upon the winding-ring 19. The ring 1 is adjusted toward or away from the ring 19, as desired, and the roller 7 adjusted in any direction required and the brake-band 5 tightened up upon the brake-wheel 2, so as to put the desired amount of strain upon the fabric or. For example, it has been found in practice that with a curved fabric of the character described, showing a breaking strain of, say, fourhundred pounds tofourhundredand fifty pounds, or therea-bout, on the dynamometer, if the strain put upon said fabric in stretching same (according to this invention) is made to indicate, say, one hundred and fifty pounds to one hundred and sixty pounds on the dynamometer 36 then such fabric will be rendered inextensible or sufficiently so (for the purposes stated) after same has been steamed or wetted and dried while still held stretched on the Winding-ring, as hereinafter described. The shaft B and rings 19 thereon are then very slowly rotated, and the fabric is drawn off the ringlover the roller 7, on which it is inverted, and thence wound onto the ring 19 and inverted a second time as it is wound on the latter, and in this manner the fabric is in one operation stretched to. such a degree as to render same practically inextensible for the purpose of forming the detachable covers of pneumatic tires, as aforesaid. The roller is manipulated by the worm-wheel while winding to guide the fabric.

The machine may be used as a stretchingmachine pure and simple. In that case the brake-ring 1 and the winding-on ring 19 are both solid. The fabric to be stretched is wound on the brake-ring 1, one end being fastened to it. The other end of the fabric is fastened to the winding-on ring, and the fabric is then wound onto the said winding-on ring under great tension. When a sufficient length of the fabrichas been thus Wound onto the winding-on ring-say, two or three laps-the fabric is clamped to the ring while still under tension, and the ring may then be removed from the machine. If now the fabric were removed from the ring, it would spring back; but the stretch is permanently removed by the fabric being steamed While clamped under tension. This steaming puts such strain on the fabric that after being dried while still clamped on the ring 19 the fabric will no longer spring back when the clamp is released.

Instead of steaming the fabric while stretched on the ring the fabric may be mercerized or treated in any suitable bath and then dried before being released from the ring, or the fabric may be made wet before it is stretched and then when stretched and clamped on the ring allowed to dry there; but steaming has been found in practice to have many advantages.

The machine above described may be used for making up tires from already-stretched fabric in the following manner: A length of the stretched fabric, rubbered first to a sufficient extent, is wrapped on the brake-ring and wound under slight tension onto the winding-on ring, which in this case must be made collapsible. If the completed tire is to consist of more than one thickness of fabric, (which is in most cases preferred,) slight tension onlyis used after a sufficient thickness of fabric has been wound on the ring, and when dried the ring is collapsed and the tire removed from the ring.

I may also use my improved apparatus for the manufacture of tires in the following manner: The unstretched fabric-,fully or partially impregnated with rubber, may be placed on the brake-ring and wound onto the windingring under great tension and there clamped. Whether the fabric has been fully or only partially impregnated with rubber it must while still clamped on the winding-ring be steamed and dried. If the fabric has been fully rubbered in its unstretched condition and is placed in that condition on the brakering, it may be thence at once wound under great tension onto a collapsible winding-on ring and stretched and finished in one winding operation.

Referring now to the modification shown in Figs. 8 to 11, instead of using a rotatable roller 7, as shown in Figs. 1 to 5, to convert the fabric a fixed block, horn, or ridge 6 may be used for the same purpose. Fig. 8 is a plan of a suitably-shaped block. Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section thereof on line 9 9, Fig. 8; Fig. 10, an end view of the block 6, and Fig. 11 a local diagrammatic view (after the manner of Fig. 5) showing the block 6 fixed in position between the unwinding-ring 1 and the winding-ring 19. The said block 6 is recessed and undercut at each end atf, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, so that rounded ends project at each of the four corners e of said block e, the object of this construction being that the undercut recess fenables the block e-to fit over without touching the rings 1 and 19, respectively, so that the rounded corners or projections e on said block 6 fit into and support the fold of the fabric 00 as same is being inverted while passing from the unwindingring onto the block eand again to fitinto and support the fold of the fabric a: as sanieis being reinverted while being drawn off the fixed block e onto the winding-ring 19. The fabric w thus slides over the block 6, the rubbing contact-surface of which latter is smooth,

and by tilting the block e or altering the position of same relatively to the ring 1 or ring 19, or both, the stretch can be taken out of the fabric either evenly right across its width or more stretch can be taken out of the fabric at one point than at others, means being provided to support and adjust said block e in a similar manner to those shown for supporting the roller '7, (see Figs. 1 and 4,) or the block 6 may be supported and adjusted in any position by any suitable means, as will be readily understood and need not therefore be further described here.

Instead of winding the fabric on the brakering I have in Figs. 12 to 15 shown how this apparatus can be used so as to enable the fabric to be stretched continuously from the batch or continuous bobbin. Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic view showing how the apparatus would then be worked. An additional fixed block 9 (shown in detail in Figs. 13 to 15) may be usefully employed in guiding the fabric from the stock-bobbin onto the brakering. Fig. 13 is a plan of a suitable block g; Fig. 14, alongitudinal sectional view on line 14 14, Fig. 13; and Fig. 15, an end view thereof lookingin the direction of the arrow15,Fig. 13. The bobbin of material 7) may advantageously be mounted over the brake-ring 1, and instead of fixing the fabric to this ring, as previously described, the surface should be roughened or provided with pins or equivalent arrangement to prevent the material w from being dragged over the brake-ring 1 at a speed quicker than the brake-ring 1 is allowed to revolve. From the brake-ring 1 the mate'- rial passes to the winding-ring over a similar block 6 and in a similar manner to the arrangement previously described with reference to Figs. 8 to 11.

A convenient form for the block or shoe 9 as employed in Fig. 12 is shown in Figs. 13, 14, and 15. The block is formed with an undercut recess 71, (similar to the recess fin the block 6,) so as thus to form projecting rounded corners 9 (similar to the corners e) at one end only. The other end 9 of the shoe 9 is slightly rounded in a convex manner, so as to pass the cloth or coming from the bobbint' over the convex end 9 onto the shoe g and thence onto the ring 1, the cloth being inverted as it passes from the shoe g.

Fig. 16 is a diagrammatic viewillustrating an arrangement similar to that shown in Fig. 12, except that the brake-ring 1 instead of revolving has a brake-shoe m applied directly to the fabric, which is dragged between the brake-block m and the ring 1, so that the fabric is thus held back or retarded and consequently stretched as itis drawn by and wound onto the winding-ring 19. This brake-blockm' may be applied in any suitable manner to the ring 1 and by any suitable meansas, for instance,by means of the brake-levern, turning about the fulcrum 0, this lever being weighted at 10, so that according to the leverage and Weighting of the lever n any desired pressure or braking action can be obtained. No dynaniometer or separate band -brake wheel will then be required.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. The herein-described method of manufacturing detachable covers for pneumatic tires from curved woven fabric consisting of winding said fabric into a ring under great tension, holding said fabric against contraction and while so held subjecting said fabric to the action of steam, then drying the fabric before releasing same whereby the fabric is renderedpractically inextensible in the direction of its length substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described. 2. The herein-described process of man ufacturing detachable covers for pneumatic tires from curved Woven fabric consisting in winding said fabric in superposed layers into a ring under great tension, holding said fabric against contraction and while so held subjecting said fabric to the action of steam, then drying the fabric before releasing same whereby the fabric is rendered practically inextensible in the direction of its length substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.

3. The herein-described method of manufacturing detachable covers for pneumatic tires from curved woven fabric which consists in passing the fabric under tension over a succession of convex surfaces so arranged as to invert and reinvert the curvature of the fabric; winding said fabric into a ring under great tension; holding said fabric against contraction and wetting the said fabric while so held; and drying the fabric before releasing the same, substantially as described.

4. The herein-described method of manufacturing detachable covers for pneumatic tires from curved woven fabric,which consists in passing the fabric under tension over a succession of convex surfaces arranged to invert and rein vert the curvature thereof; winding the said fabric into a ring under great tension; subjecting the fabric to the action of wet steam; and drying the said fabric While still held under ten sion,substantially as described.

5. The herein-described method of manufacturing detachable covers for pneumatic tires from curved Woven fabric,which consists in passing the fabric under great tension over a succession of convex surfaces so arranged with relation to each other as to invert and reinvert the curvature of the fabric, winding said fabric into a ring under great tension, subjecting said fabric to the action of wet steam, and drying the fabric While held under tension, substantially as described.

LEWIS J OHNSTON E.

Witnesses:

H. D. JAMESON, A. NUTTING.

IIO 

